Advice on which resort in the Italian Dolomites ?

A snowHead

Hi,

I'm looking at going to the Dolomites for the first time next Feb/Mar and have looked at the http://www.dolomitisuperski.com website and to be honest, they all look pretty stunning.

I'm looking for a resort that has good links to the Sella Ronda but also has good local skiing. My wife and I are intermediates (fine on all Reds) and my friend is a bit better. We enjoy most types of runs but especially enjoy tree lined runs, not to mention runs that are quiet wink

Any advice on resort pricing compared to France would be helpful as well.

btw, I've only skied in France before (Paradiski, 3V's, St Gervais) and once in Flachau Austria, so I'm a little unsure of whether the Dolomites will please us but if you never try it you don't know !

Any advice/experience appreciated

Thanks

Andy

A snowHead

Arabba? We used it as a base two years ago for a Dolomites holiday. Trip report with photos here:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50606

Red runs - check (though we were doing offpiste), tree-lined runs - check.

Prices seemed lower than in France. Nightlife close to non-existent, though.

Corvara is easily reachable from Arabba. Don't know what it is as a base.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

pokemon, certainly cheaper than France, Im sure you'll have a very ggod trip. The main bases are the four corners of the Sella Ronda circuit although there are other places. Selva and Corvara have the most nightlife while Arraba and Selva have the harder runs. We stayed in Selva and it only takes about an hour to ski to Arraba. There are tree lined runs in all the main areas and when we went in March there were quite often times when we had runs to ourselves, especially on the day it dumped: a foot of fresh on the pistes and noone around Very Happy

From Arraba you can easily get to the Marmolada glacier (we did this from Selva, took about 2 1/2 hours to get to the top) while from Selva you can head away from the Circuit (if feeling brave down the Sassolongo downhill (easy black) or the alternative to the Col Raiser area which has more trees.

Enjoy

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Kronplatz.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I'm off back to Canazei for the second time in January, loved it the first time. Nice picturesque resort directly on the Sella Ronda circuit. Good local skiing - including tree lined runs. The Italian's seem to do the food and drink side of things very well as well. If everything you've done so far was in France, then I think you'll easily find the cost of things significantly lower in Italy - wherever you go! snowHead

You'll need to Register first of course.

I stayed in Arabba over Christmas last year and am going back for New year this year. I liked it as it gave good access to the Sella Ronda and a whole lot of interesting runs if you headed just a couple of lifts out of Arabba in either direction. Price wise I think it was cheaper than France - the food at the many mounatin restaurants was particularly good value compared to France.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Spent a week in San Cassiano last February with my 5yo: excellent local skiing but only two or three lifts away from the Sella Ronda main circuit when we wanted. I was surprised how few people were skiing the (non-serious) off-piste between the runs. The advantage of San Cassiano (or any resort in that valley) is that you can get to Lagazuoi way before skiers based elsewhere.

We did the circuit twice - one day not leaving the valley until after lunch - with plenty of time to spare.

I'm going back in January (with our local ski club), staying in Canazei, which although more on the circuit has less local skiing.

Prices? Typical Italian (i.e. quite cheap), but with Austrian quality and service.

Don't take any notice of guidebooks which suggests the lift system is out-of-date: I've never seen anywhere with so many new lifts: there is now only one slow drag on the circuit - and you only get the going clockwise.

After all it is free

We stayed in Selva and had a great time, want to get back again in March. You will enjoy it. The whole region is fantastic a must do for those who like being in the open air!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Dave Horsley, Is that a replacement for the two drags up from the Passo Campolongo which give you the height to get back to Arabba?

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

If you like reds go for Arabba it has some that are proper reds
We were there three years ago and is on the list as a possable again this year for a trip
I agree with whats alread been said on costs we went to pay the drinks bill at our hotel (Olympia) at the end of the week and it was a lot lower than expected so left a bigger tip.
If conditions are poor you can get to the Marmolada glacier easily

snow reports

This can be a hard one if you have no car because staying at any of the 4 main corners of Sella Ronda (Selva, Corvara, Arraba or Canazei) is unavoidable.

I stayed at Selva side and in Santa Christina which has its own loop around Ortisei and Alpe Di Siusi which has a very memorable bus link between Saltria and Santa Christina which itself has an underground train to the lift station.

On my recommendation my brother in Norway has booked Santa Christina too for the next year Feb/Mar time but he will pick up a car from the Munich Airport to drive there.

Sella Ronda is different to 3 Vallees (which spreads out into 4 consecutive valleys) because it is a huge loop that no other resort can match. It is big enough not to have a crowd problem but I expect queues may be long at the strategic chairlift stations during mid term breaks. Having said that the situation should be a lot better than the French resorts for having less congestion.

I don't think any skier could fail to be impressed by Sella Ronda. It is a mighty skiing domain with over 200 chairlifts and 510km piste. 3 Vallees also has over 200 chairlifts but 600km pistes. Both sites are fully linked.

pokemon, we were looking for similar next year and after a lot of research (mostly on Snowheads) decided on Arabba for all the reasons mentioned above. Go for it!

You know it makes sense.

We went to Arabba this year and we're going to Selva next: we loved the Sella Ronda area. Resort report here. We'd be very happy to go back to Arabba, it's a compact resort with good access to some excellent skiing. We like a short transfer though, so we thought we'd give Selva a try and also get a different view onto the Sella Ronda. It's worth going off to the 'Hidden Valley', it is a short, chaotic bus ride to the cable car and there's a bit of a queue but the run is fantastic and it's pretty quiet.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Great, thanks for all the replies. Looks like Arabba is a strong candidate but from all the comments Selva and Santa Christina will be ideal choices as well.

Just need to book something now...shame it's not until Feb/Mar. As we haven't got kids I will avoid half term. I'm 40 first week of March, so that week may be a good week to go and take my mind off getting to that middle age milestone. Crying or Very sad

A snowHead

pokemon, although I've not experienced this directly myself - I understand that the Italians now do their own half term in the week containing Shrove Tuesday, so it will be busy that week. I understand this is a relatively recent innovation.

A snowHead

riverman,

Yes, but I've just checked the website and its not mentioned. Yet when I checked a couple of months ago the Campolongo drags were definitely down to be replaced and the piste map had been amended to show a chair rather than the two drags, and now its back to two drags on the map Sad

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Dave Horsley, Will find out in March, perhaps it will be in the 2008 budget.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Dave Horsley, riverman, Don't worry I'm sold on the Dolomites anyway now.

Are the drags T-Bars as my wife hates them ?

The first time we used them (in Eben, Austria) I caused her to fall off to the side and she was half buried in the snow. The pisteur guy had to literally dig her out as the snow was that deep. It was hilarious Laughing

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

pokemon, In the above situation there are two parallel drags one of which is a T bar the other is a butten drag so you get a choice. Its just a long pull up through the trees not to steep or jerky.

You'll need to Register first of course.

riverman, although I've seen it when one lift is closed (maybe mechanical maybe due to it being quiet) and on each occasion it's been the lift that wasn't closed the last time. However, as you say it's fairly benign if fact the first (only) T-bar I've been on with my board.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

pokemon,

After all it is free

It must be 10 years since we visited San Cassiano, which is great for getting over to Cortina.
Best skiing is around Arraba though for better members of your party.

have been sking for 11 years with a group and do a different resort every year, this year a few weeks after our group trip me and the better half did a weekend trip to italy and drove to the dolimites, we drove all the ways around the circuit and stopped in every village/town to check it out for our group trip in 08.
we stayed 1 night in canezei and 2 nights in st christina and skied the circuit twice. the scenery will blow your mind as we have seen resorts all over especially austria but have never seen anything like the dolimites. looking at the different towns we prob preferred st christina or its near neighbour selva as canezei was a bit quite by night and arraba and corrova both looked very quite and small and we like a bit of night life. also if you are flying into milan/bergamo/innsbruck or any airport you will have a hell of a drive getting from west to east in the dolimites, likewise the other way around if you are landing in ie venice which we did when we returned there with 2 friends end of march and it took us 4 1/2 to get to selva!!
the sking is fantastic with enough slopes to keep one going for a month, only fault i would find is a lot of the slopes are a bit short with very few decent long runs but as i said earlier we have never skied any resort more than twice and in 08 we return to the dolimites (selva this time) with our group for a 3rd time

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

creedgearoid, agree totally with you about resorts and negative short slopes. Suprised it took you 4.5 hours to get to Selva. The journey should be 2.5 - 3, must have been some serious snow on the roads!! We shall return also.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Hi Everyone.
I'm also going to Dolomites for late January.
I'm looking for a town that will have options other than just skiing as one of our party is worried that he'll not last the week (got shin problems last time he skied).
If he does ski ideally he wants easy access to some resonably gentle pistes to start off.
I've chosen Ortisei/St Ulrich because it seems like the biggest town and I guess will have reasonable links to Bolzano/Merano if he fancies a day away and it's one of the towns covered by the terravision transfer from Bergamo.
Would this make sense? I've never been to the Dolomites so first-hand advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hamish

snow reports

prob didnt explain very well roy that we were going to selva from the wrong side from venice plus it was dark and we got lost a few times. if we were only going to say arabba it would have been a shorter trip as arabba is on the east side of the dolimites. and likewise if one was going to the other side western side of the region ie ortisei, st christina, selva, then milan or bolzano airport would be the closest. maybe my east's west's are all mixed up but thats the best i can explain i'm afraid. we are actually travelling all the ways down from munich with our group for the feb trip as its the closest we can get with flights out of cork. last time we went with ryanair to treviso/venice out of shannon
think the best way anyone can have a look for themselves is by going into "google maps" online and focus in on say selva and follow the road to the nearest town to get a perspective of whats near what, as in airports etc, even do this does not give any idea of just how wild and twisty the roads are
you've picked the correct town hamish for anyone that would want a day trip to bolzano as ortesi is the first town you come to after getting off the motorway which runs north-south from austria to italy and bolzano is the nearest city, tink ortisei is only about 1/2hr off the motorway, once your on the motorway at a guess bolzano would be no more than 3/4 hr more. ortiesi also has the best nighttime tobbogan run in the region if not the only one!

Let me know about the Munich flights as it is easier for us to get there as opposed to Dublin and the M50!! We went out of Shannon to Bergamo and returned Treviso Shannon. Alas that company does not do that route anymore. Maybe Kerry-Stansted and Stansted-Verona may be just as good.

If flights were the same as last year I would go to Venice Treviso. Arabba to Selva about 45mins not pushing it, assuming the road is open. I gather it usually is but !!!!!

You know it makes sense.

didnt realise they had stopped those bergamo and treviso flights had been checking but thought it was just a schedule delay, not a lot of options left for getting to that part of the world from the south, never heard this being announced, you sure they are gone?
the outward flight to munich is early morning which is fine but the return is also a morning flight so we will prob have to stay in munich fri nite to make sure we catch that flight as it's a 3-4 drive from selva (210 miles approx). we are hiring two large vechicle for 11 people for the week costing about 1000eu total, this is the cheapest option as getting taxi/bus would cost approx 2000!!. we also looked at the train option which we would prefer but the return rail ticket prices are mad, over 200eu pp!! and we would still have to get a taxi to complete our journey after that. its about 90% motorway driving but at that time of year you can't even trust the motorways to be clear so it would be the better option to get the train so if anyone out there knows how to get cheaper rail tickets pls let me know but it would need to be a lot cheaper than 200eur return pp.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

creedgearoid, Are you sure about those rail prices? I went out in summer 2005 and Venice to Brunico (nearest station to Corvara) was about 12eu single, the bus down Alta Badia was about another 3eu. We bought those tickets from the station on the day we travelled.

A snowHead

I've just checked the trenitalia website and it has a single for 27.90 (this was on a saturday in Dec it wouldn't allow me to book any further ahead than that), you'd want to check for bus connections with the tourist board but I've always found the ones in that area very helpful and speak good English. I couldn't work out how to book a return ticket though!

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

innsbruck would be great but certainly no flights from southern ireland and not even dublin i'm sure except the tour companies.
swirly, are you looking at a train from treviso/venice or munich for that price cos we are flying into munich which probably makes it expensive traveling thru 3 countries.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

We have often hired vehicles (I'm sounding like a Gard!! wink

) normally from Italian airports but last year drove from Frankfurt Hahn to Avoriaz, long journey. We stayed overnight in Sorren close to the airport but that was a long journey. Not sure if we will do it again. That is why this year it will be a double journey firstly to the UK and then on.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

creedgearoid, sorry that was from Venice.

You'll need to Register first of course.

alex_heney, I believe that Innsbruck has/had a reputation for fog and flights being diverted.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Roy Hockley, BMI fly into Marco Polo at a sensible time if you are having to make a connection into the uk. There is also a ski bus that runs each day to Arraba and other Dolimite ski resorts from the airport. I am going to Arraba with Colletts who provide a pick up service from Marco Polo and Treveso.

After all it is free

riverman, Is there a website for the ski bus ?

TIA

Andy

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

pokemon, There is a ski bus service to Arraba which has to be booked with the accommodation on www.dolomitistars.com

Help!!

Advice on which resort in the Italian Dolomites ?

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Resort Reviews and Trip Reports